Plan and organize all aspects of the annual conference. The Conference Committee has eight members and meets throughout the year, typically in December, February, April, June, and September at the conference site selected for that particular year. Meetings usually start Sunday afternoon and last through Monday noon. Duties include: selecting a theme and designing a logo for the conference; organizing general sessions consisting of federal and state updates; developing concurrent training sessions on relevant topics, such as current financial aid issues, professional development, and technology; and coordinating with the Finance and Development Committee for sponsorship opportunities. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE FEE DISCOUNT: In light of the Conference Committee’s and the Treasurer’s responsibilities prior to and during the actual conference and the conference committee members’ inability to participate in most of the conference sessions/events, the Treasurer and all committee members whose institutions are unable or unwilling to pay the conference fee will receive a discount of up to $200 at the time that they register for the conference (amount cannot exceed the Registration Fee).
“F&D”, as this committee is commonly known, monitors the financial viability of the Association, manages the sponsor solicitation process, and recommends to Council appropriate courses of action to ensure financial strength, including but not limited to development activities, investment policy, and budgeting. The committee’s size can vary, but it typically consists of 8-10 members. Specific duties include: preparing and recommending a budget for the new fiscal year, soliciting Business Partners, and providing oversight of investment policies. The committee conducts an annual conference call with the ISS Sector, to include all Business Partners, to obtain feedback regarding partner options and conference set-up. At least one additional conference call is held with the Association’s investment consultant. Establishing PASFAA’s proposed annual budget is usually done in an in-person meeting.
The purpose of this committee is to educate the public about financial aid (e.g., the sources of aid and the financial aid process), while promoting an awareness of PASFAA and its mission to parents, students, high school and guidance staffs, the financial aid community and the community at large. The committee has a maximum of 10 members. Specific duties include: informing the public of new initiatives in financing higher education/savings mechanisms, organizing volunteers to participate in PACAC and other regional college fairs, coordinating with PHEAA to update and print materials for distribution at such fairs, communicating with college fair site coordinators to identify any restrictions on acceptable materials to disseminate, shipping college fair materials to volunteers, and ensuring that the website listing of financial aid night volunteers is current. Time commitment for committee members is no more than 5 hours per semester. Volunteers at fairs can spend an average of 2-3 hours, but no more than 5 hours at one fair. There may be a few exceptions where the time commitment is greater, due to a combination morning/evening fair. The Committee Chair spends approximately 10 hours a semester organizing volunteers, ordering/shipping materials, and registering PASFAA for the fairs.
PASFAA’s Vice President is the Chair of this committee, which consists of approximately 10 members. The committee’s purpose is to educate the membership concerning federal and state legislative, political, and regulatory matters, and to represent the Association with respect to legislative, political, and regulatory interests to governmental and quasi-governmental agencies. Specific duties include: developing and implementing strategies to monitor and influence policy and administration of federal student aid programs (a primary tool is the RallyCongress site); developing and implementing strategies to inform and educate the Association membership on legislative, political, and regulatory issues; tracking major federal and state financial aid initiatives and proposing Association position statements for the Association to make its voice heard; coordinating the Association’s interest in legislative, political, and regulatory issues with governmental and quasi-governmental authorities; and planning and coordinating an annual Capitol Hill visit to Washington, DC, to educate and inform Congressional Members and Legislators on issues related to post-secondary education funding.
Sometimes called “M.A.G.” for short, this committee is chaired by PASFAA’s Immediate Past President, and it is comprised of the association’s eight Sector Representatives. The President and President-Elect may also serve in an ex officio capacity. Meetings usually occur the afternoon/evening prior to Executive Council meetings (about 4 times per year). The purpose of the committee is to manage the membership and election matters of the organization. Specific duties include: soliciting nominations for the appropriate council positions that need to be filled for the upcoming year; supervising and publicizing the annual voting procedures and election results; maintaining and updating the PASFAA Policies and Procedures Manual annually; reviewing, on a yearly basis, the Membership Brochure and making appropriate updates.
